• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

Yes, she said, she did get it.

He asked her if she would fax it to him, and she agreed. He gave her the fax number of the lobby receptionist in a different building on the company campus, where he had already made arrangements for faxes to be held for him, and would then arrange for the password fax to be forwarded. This time, though, Robert used a different fax-forwarding method. He gave the receptionist a fax number that went to an on-line fax service. When this service receives a fax, the automated system sends it to the subscriber’s email address.

The new password arrived at the email dead drop that Robert set up on a free email service in China. He was sure that if the fax was ever traced, the investigator would be pulling out his hair trying to gain cooperation from Chinese officials, who, he knew, were more than a little reluctant to be helpful in matters like this. Best of all, he never had to show up physically at the location of the fax machine.

mitnick message

The skilled social engineer is very clever at influencing other people to do favors for him. Receiving a fax and forwarding it to another location appears so harmless that it’s all too easy to persuade a receptionist or someone else to agree to do it. When somebody asks for a favor involving information, if you don’t know him or can’t verify his identity, just say no.

TRAFFIC COURT

Probably everyone who has ever been given a speeding ticket has day-dreamed about some way of beating it. Not by going to traffic school, or simply paying the fine, or taking a chance on trying to convince the judge about some technicality like how long it has been since the police-car speedometer or the radar gun was checked. No, the sweetest scenario would be beating the ticket by outsmarting the system.

The Con

Although I would not recommend trying this method of beating a traffic ticket (as the saying goes, don’t try this at home) still, this is a good example of how the art of deception can be used to help the social engineer.

Let’s call this traffic violater Paul Durea.

First Steps

“LAPD, Hollenbeck Division.”

“Hi, I’d like to talk to the Subpoena Control.”

“I’m the subpoena clerk.”

“Fine. This is Attorney John Leland, of Meecham, Meecham, and Talbott. I need to subpoena an officer on a case.”

“Okay, which officer?”

“Do you have Officer Kendall in your division?”

“What’s his serial number?”

“21349.”

“Yes. When do you need him?”

“Some time next month, but I need to subpoena several other witnesses on the case and then tell the court what days will work for us. Are there any days next month Officer Kendall won’t be available?”

“Let’s see ... He has vacation days on the 20th through the 23rd, and he has training days on the 8th and 16th.”

“Thanks. That’s all I need right now. I’ll call you back when the court date is set.”

Municipal Court, Clerk’s Counter

Paul: “I’d like to schedule a court date on this traffic ticket.”

Clerk: “Okay. I can give you the 26th of next month.”

“Well, I’d like to schedule an arraignment.”

“You want an arraignment on a traffic ticket?”

“Yes.”

“Okay. We can set the arraignment tomorrow in the morning or afternoon. What would you like?”

“Afternoon.”

“Arraignment is tomorrow at 1:30 P.M. in Courtroom Six.”

“Thanks. I’ll be there.”

Municipal Court, Courtroom Six

Date: Thursday, 1:45 P.M.

Clerk: “Mr. Durea, please approach the bench.”

Judge: “Mr. Durea, do you understand the rights that have been explained to you this afternoon?”

Paul: “Yes, your honor.”

Judge: “Do you want to take the opportunity to attend traffic school? Your case will be dismissed after successful completion of an eight-hour course. I’ve checked your record and you are presently eligible.”

Paul: “No, your honor. I respectfully request that the case be set for trial. One more thing, your honor, I’ll be traveling out of the country, but I’m available